Before the Sun Sets
by Mishael135
Summary: Anastasia is on the run from vampires. What happens when she settles down in Caper, Maine, and falls for Tyler Cullen, the newest addition to the Cullen Coven? Will he ever love her the way she loves him? And can the Cullens survive ANOTHER war?
1. Anastasia

I've never risked my life to save someone before. I'm not sure why I'm doing it now. All I know is that those I love are in danger. It's my nature, I must protect. Even if it means my life.

I looked up as light came full blast into my apartment. The book I was reading was interesting, but I needed to get ready for school. I walked out of my one-bedroom apartment in Caper, Maine, for a quick run to calm my nerves. I was still a little nervous from the last encounter I had had with my own kind. Vampires.

I'm on the run. I have been for the last five years. My kind has been warring against each other for at least a decade. Ten years ago, a band of vampires tried to rally everyone together to overrule the humans. But not everyone agreed that it was the right thing to do. From that point on, our kind has been warring against each other in attempt to overrule the other side. The entire Vampire world was split in half, those that wanted to leave the humans alone, and those that wanted to rule them. Even the Volturi were split.

I haven't had time to choose one way or the other, ever since I heard about the war, I've kept to myself. When my kind finally remembered about me and my talent, I was ready for them. I left as soon as possible leaving no trace behind. For the past five years I have wandered through both Americas running from both sides of the war. It takes them longer to find me then it would with most vampires, for while I am similar, there are several differences.

1) I do not have _pale_ skin. My skin remains the same color it was before I was changed.  
2) I do not live on human blood. I live on animals. I can not bring myself to kill someone who has a choice to live. I can also live on Human food.  
3) My talent is not used to seek or lure a victim to me. My gift is protection.

These differences make me a valuable asset to both sides. One side wishes to use my protection for their own uses so they cannot be harmed while fighting the other. The other wishes for the same. As for animal blood, I am not the only 'vegetarian' vampire. There are others, but I cannot be with them for fear of capture. I can fit in easily with humans though, one of the reasons it is so hard to find me. I have a year in most places, I tend to stick to small towns. Caper isn't very small, but it's perfect. It's also cold and rainy most of the year.

I ran back home and got dressed, grabbed my keys and my bag and went outside. My car was a little flashy I admit, but I enjoyed the speed and the control. It was brand new, one of the first things I had bought when arriving in Maine. The black Ferrari was beautiful, sleek, and perfect in every way.

My first day at school started like any other one, I drove and found a parking space, next to a jeep, across from a silver volvo, the only cars that looked fairly new around the lot. I went to the office to pick up some papers and then found my way to my first class, english. I talked to my teacher who then pointed me to an empty chair next to a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes.  
"Hello! You must be the new girl! I'm Amy." She said a little too enthusiastically for my liking.  
"Hi I'm Anastasia," I replied.  
"Nice to meet you! Where are you from?" She leaned her head against her hand with her elbow on the table.  
"I'm kind of from all over, I move a lot." I said as I grabbed a pen from my backpack.  
"Cool. So I was wondering...would you like someone to show you around the school? I can find people to take you to each of your classes for you."  
She was trying to be nice. I appreciated it. When those of your kind where hunting you down, humans made good friends. If nothing else, they were at least amusing.  
"I would like that, thanks." and before she could say anything else, the bell rang and class started. I listened for the first few minutes, trying to see what level they were on. Once I had established that, I zoned out just enough so that the teacher's voice became a dull roar.

I also have the ability to scan the surroundings with my mind, while my body stayed in the same place in the same position it was in when class started. I started out by looking for any enemies nearby, and when I found none, I amused myself by getting to know the school better. I zoned back in just in time for the bell, and Amy took me to my next class.

The next three periods were basically the same, I would listen for a few minutes, then zone out until class was over. Finally, it was lunch time. I sat with Amy and her friends, listening to the chatter and getting myself acquainted with their names. Amy certainly seemed to be the eyes and ears of the school, she knew all the gossip and everything that was going on in the school. She had just started on who she thought was taking drugs this week when they walked by. There were six of them, six beautifully _pale_ graceful individuals. My suspicions were aroused, only vampires are that graceful. Then I saw the color of their eyes. That's when I knew.

"Who are they?" I asked casually.  
"Those are the Cullens. They were all adopted by Dr. Cullen and his wife, and they're all together. You see the blonde with the big burley one? That's Rosalie and Emmett. The slightly weird one and the one with honey locks? Alice and Jasper. The one that looks like she's in pain and the one with reddish-brown hair? That's Bella and Edward. They all keep to themselves really." Amy answered for me. Just then, another one walked by. "And he is?"  
"That's Tyler Cullen. He's alone, but don't get your hopes up. No one in this school is good enough for him." She said flatly. "Not that I care," she added quickly. I really wasn't paying that much attention. I couldn't take my eyes off Tyler. He was very handsome, even for a vampire, and his dark shaggy hair seemed to draw me in. I looked away, I couldn't let those of my own kind distract me. They were not enemies at the moment, that much was obvious, but that could change at any point and time. I needed to be alert.  
I nodded and we continued our lunch.

~*~

"So what's the deal on the new girl?" Tyler asked as he slid into his seat.  
Everyone looked at Edward. "Well everyone's saying she's pretty...nobody knows where she's from..." Edward smirked.  
"What?" Emmett asked.  
"Apparently Amy thinks you're 'unattainable' Tyler."  
Tyler smirked back. "Well..."  
Rosalie glared at Edward and Tyler. "Do me a favor Tyler, and don't pull an Edward. Just because it worked for him doesn't mean it will work again."  
Edward rolled his eyes and pulled Bella closer. "Whatever." This time he tried reading the girls mind. He searched for a voice he had never heard before, but he couldn't find one. He looked at Alice who was searching for the girl's future.  
_"It's impossible. I can't see anything. But it's not like she's at a crossroads...there's like this fog around her that's purposely blocking us."_ Alice thought.  
"It's the same with me. Either intentionally or unintentionally she's managing to block us somehow."  
"How is that possible?" Bella asked while Emmett looked confused, not catching the look that had passed between Edward and Alice.  
"I'm not sure. But we should keep an eye on her. Just in case." Edward answered.  
Taylor looked back at the girl. _She's beautiful, more beautiful than Rosalie in my opinion. I know Edward fell in love with a human. Am I destined to as well?_  
Edward smirked again, and Rose continued to glare at her two brothers.

~*~

"Oh. I don't know anyone in AP chemistry..." Amy frowned as she looked at my schedule.  
"I do," Todd, one of Amy's friends joined in, "Tyler Cullen is in that class."  
"Oh yeah... Tyler! Hey Tyler!" I watched as Tyler gave the rest of the Cullens an annoyed look and then as he walked stiffly over to our table.  
"Tyler this is Anastasia. She has AP Chemistry with you, could you take her?"  
Tyler still had an annoyed look on his face, and I really didn't want to get on anyone's bad side this early into the year. Especially not a Vampire's bad side.  
"You know what Amy, it's okay. I have a map, I'll find it." I shot Tyler a glance.  
"Are-are you sure?" Amy asked also glancing at Tyler briefly.  
"Yeah i'll be-"  
"No it's okay i'll take you." Tyler cut in suddenly. His expression had changed from annoyance to puzzlement. I knew the reason. At that particular moment my eyes had darkened very subtly, something only another vampire would notice. _Perfect Timing..._ I thought to myself as I grabbed my bag and stood up. _Here goes nothing..._


	2. Chemistry

"So where did you move from?" Was the first question he asked.  
"From Washington State." I answered, following him, memorizing the way to chemistry.  
"Oh really? I used to live there. It's nice." He said casually.  
Yes, Washington state was the ideal place for vampires. The sun rarely shines in some parts. I have a good friend who lives there, a vampire friend. I haven't seen him in about 200 hundred years. _Carlisle Cullen. Come to think of it, I bet Tyler knows him, if he used to live in Washington..._ What was Tyler's last name? I wasn't I snapped out of my daze when we arrived at the classroom. The teacher, Mr. Williams, looked at my papers and then up at the class.  
"Well Anastasia, it looks like the only empty seat is next to Tyler. So sit there for now and if there's a problem we can always move you." I nodded and moved to the seat next to smiled at me and then turned to face the front. I took a deep breath and faced the front as well. This was going to be an interesting couple of months.

~*~

This new girl was... intriguing. Back in the cafeteria, I could have sworn that I saw her eyes darken slightly. From a light brown to a slightly darker brown. But she wasn't a vampire...her skin was too dark for that. I could hear her heartbeat and smell her blood. Which was another interesting facet...the scent of her blood didn't make me thirsty. The first human I had ever met that didn't appeal to me in that way. She had to be human, but was there truly someone else like Bella? Edward had not been able to read her mind because Bella had the gift of a mental shield. Did this girl unwittingly have some kind of body shield? So that Edward could not read her mind, and Alice couldn't see her future?

That last thought set me to thinking. Would _my_ power work on her? If she was blocking Alice and Edward, was it possible she could block me too? I flexed mentally and sent my gift into the room. Normally I don't bother around humans, they're usually neutral, neither a friend nor an enemy. It was the same in this class room. All of the humans were neutral. All except for one, one who was sitting right next to me, but couldn't be read by my gift. _Guess that answered my question,_ I thought to myself. That only made me more curious. Surely it couldn't hurt to get to know the girl, maybe find out why she seemed so different.

~*~

I felt my shield come up defensively and knew without looking that Tyler was up to something. _Wonder what his gift is..._ I thought to myself. Whatever it was, whatever he was trying to do, it wasn't working. I felt a slow presence come over my shield and felt it remain for a few seconds, and then disappear completely. He seemed nice enough. And surely if he was here, living among humans, he couldn't be feeding off of them. With a sly glance, I checked his eye color. Amber. A rich, warm, golden brown. _Like Carlisle's eyes._ I thought, missing my dear friend. I needed to remember to pay him a visit sometime in the near future. Carlisle was one of the few vampires that didn't feed of humans-he fed off animals, thus his eyes were always that warm golden brown instead of blood red like most vampires. So Tyler and his cover were all vegetarians. Were they on a particular side of the war? Or were they avoiding picking a side, like I was? I had so many questions to ask, but none of them could be voiced. Things could get very dangerous for Tyler and his coven if they ever found out what I was. There were only four people in the world who knew why I wasn't like other vampires, and three of them were after me. The other was Carlisle.

~*~

By the time Mr. Williams was finally winding up his speech, I had a plan of attack. It wouldn't hurt to become the girl's friend. I would see whether or not she could handle a friendship with someone as odd as a...vampire. I had to keep myself from smiling. The poor girl had know idea what I was going to get her into.

It was time to start packing up our things, the bell was going to ring any second now. It was time to begin my attack.  
"So what's your next class?"

~*~

"So what's your next class?" His voice almost made me jump. He hadn't said anything since I sat next to him.  
"Um...math." I said, having to check my schedule, showing it to him.  
"Oh I know where that is. I'll go ahead and take you." He said with a warm smile.  
"Um, you don't have to, I wouldn't want to make you late to your next class and cause you trouble." I came up with a quick excuse. His smile was just a _bit_ too warm for my comfort.  
"Oh it's no trouble at all. My next class is next door to your math room." His smile widened.  
_Yep, he is definitely a troublemaker..._  
"Besides, Amy would kill me if I let you wander this school by yourself." He added.  
I must have looked disbelieving. Even if Tyler _wasn't_ a vamp, Amy would be too infatuated to do anything but flirt. Of course, that was supposing that Tyler wasn't a Vampire. Which he was.

Somewhere inside me a voice was telling me to be careful, to not give away to much, to conceal myself. My protecting side. But for once, it wasn't the loudest voice. My more...reckless side, if you could call it that, was telling me to take a chance. So which side was my head speaking and which one was my heart? Or what was left of my heart?

~*~

"Besides, Amy would kill me if I let you wander this school by yourself." I tried to _not _smirk at my own remark. As if Amy could do anything to a Vampire.

I caught a small look of confusion on Anastasia's face, but before I could comment, the bell rang and it was time to go. I stood up and led Anastasia out of the room, walking beside her in the hallway to our next classes.  
"So why did you move here to Maine?" I asked her, beginning with an easy question.

~*~

Why did he have to ask the difficult question? Luckily I had an answer for this one. While I couldn't exactly say I was on the run from warring vampires, there was something I could tell him.  
"I needed some space. So I moved to a small town in the middle of nowhere." While it wasn't the _only_ reason I moved, it was one of the main reasons.  
"So it's just you then?" He asked.  
"Yeah. I don't really have a family." I answered. _More like they all died a long time ago..._  
"Oh, I'm sorry."  
"Don't be. It's not something I worry about." was my answer. And it was true. While I didn't have _family_ I had friends. Like I said before, humans make pretty good friends. And then I had some Vampire friends too. There was Sasha and her mate, Tim. Sasha and I used to be close, but I haven't seen her in years. She prefers roaming with her mate, and is on the regular vampire diet. Tim was okay too, if a little disgusted by my preferred eating habits. Then there's Carlisle Cullen, the only other person in the world who knows about what I am. I haven't actually seen him in about...a couple decades, and our last meeting was a bit rushed.

The problem with this war isn't just about the fact that I have Vampires chasing me everywhere I go, it's the fact that everyone is in hiding, and I haven't seen my friends in a long time. It's the comradeship I miss more than anything.

~*~

"Don't be. It's not something I worry about." was her answer. She said it casually, as if it really didn't matter. But of course it did. Everyone needed that feeling of...belonging. He of all people should know. He had been looking for something that was missing, and then he had run into the Cullens. They had willingly become his family, and now they were the most important thing to him. Well, them and whoever his mate would be. If even vampires needed to feel like they belonged, then this little human girl needed it too. Even if she wouldn't show it.

My mission was becoming more and more clear, the more I talked to this girl.

They were suddenly in front of their classrooms.  
"Well that one is your classroom. In case I don't see you again, have a good rest of the day." I said, smiling at her again. She nodded and thanked me, then walked into the classroom. I walked into my own as the bell rang, and sat down next to my sister Alice.

Rose was going to kill me. _But it's not as if we're in any danger. Jasper hasn't killed anyone in the past few decades, and Bella has amazing self-control for being the newest vampire among us. Anastasia's blood isn't even appetizing..._ Surely he could just be friends with her right? and if things were going well, then the family could get involved, right?

"Rose is going to kill you." Alice smirked, speaking too fast for human ears to hear.


	3. Baseball with the Cullens

It's been about a month, and my plan is working better than I expected. I've gotten to know Anastasia a lot better, and now we're really good friends. We still sit together in Chemistry and I still walk her to math, but now we're always talking and having a good time. She's smarter than I gave her credit for, she makes an excellent lab partner. We eat lunch together, mostly at her friends tables. They're smart enough to sit a little farther away from me than Anastasia does, but they're still civil to me, and in return I try not to scare them....too much. I am a vampire after all.  
There's only one thing bugging me. Anastasia doesn't know anything about what I am...what my whole family is. To get any closer to her, like I want to, I'd have to tell her. And Rose...doesn't like that idea. I don't want to put my family in danger...but I don't think I would be. Anastasia knows there's something different about us...but would this difference freak her out?

~*~

I can tell Tyler is holding back when we speak. I've gotten really close to him over the last month, but obviously there's only so close two people can get before one admits he's a vampire. For the past week I've been debating about what I should do. I would love to get closer to Tyler and count him amongst my best friends. But getting closer to him now could endanger him and his family. I'm so confused...I can't tell what's right and what's wrong anymore.

"Hey Ana," Tyler called to me as I walked to the front of the school. It was Friday morning and I hadn't seen Tyler all week. The excuse was a camping trip, but the real reason was that it had been sunny all week. Thus the vampires had retreated to the forest leaving me by myself once again. It was getting closer to Summer, sunny days were more often these days.  
"Hi Tyler. How was the trip?"  
"It was good, Colorado was very pretty." He smiled at me.  
"Good!" I smiled back. We walked into the school, but before I could turn down the hallway that led to English he put his hand on my arm stopping me.  
"Um...I was wondering...If you wanted to do something with my family this weekend." He said nervously.  
"Um...yeah. That would be fun." I said, smiling at him.  
"Great. So...I'll pick you up Saturday at 4:30 okay?" He said, shoving his hands into his pockets.  
"Sounds good. See you at lunch." I said, heading towards my classroom.  
"See you." he smiled, walking towards his class.

~*~

_What was I thinking? Did I just invite her to spend the afternoon watching the family baseball game? Man...Rose is going to KILL me..._ I thought to my as I took my seat in calculus.  
"Yeah, she is." Edward smirked at me.  
_Dang it...forgot you were in this class._ I thought.  
"So you're going to tell her?" He asked me with an amused look on his face but a seriousness in his eyes.  
_Apparently..._  
"Good. Everyone but Rose has been dying to get to know her." Edward said matter of factly.  
_You mean see if she's good enough for me?_  
"Exactly. It's more for Esme than anyone else." Esme. Our mother for all intents and purposes.  
_It's not like that between me and Anastasia. But I think she can handle the truth._  
From that point, Edward and I discussed other topics, but the problem about Anastasia was never far from my mind.

4:30 on a Saturday afternoon came closer than I thought it should. I used to have all the time in the world, now it seemed that my time was going too fast and needed to slow down so I could breathe. But it too soon it was time to hop into Emmett's jeep and pick her up. I really hoped today went well. She needed to know. I don't know why it was so important to me, but it was.

I was in front of her house in no time at all, mostly due to the fact no one in my family can drive by the speed limit. I got out of the Jeep and rang her doorbell. While I waited for her to come to the door I admired her car. It was a good car, built for speed and comfort. Alice has one, a yellow one Edward gave her as a gift for making sure that Bella didn't consort with werewolves while he was gone. It's a long story.

She opened the door, looking fabulous as usual, (one of the many reasons Alice want to meet her officially-Ana had a great fashion sense.) She was wearing a blue top with shorts and converse, a pretty necklace and that blood-red ring she always wore. I wondered briefly what the story was behind it, and then smiled at her as she grabbed a Jacket, and led her to the Jeep, helping her up into the seat. I got in on the other side, and we were off. She seemed a bit nervous, just like I was. We drove in silence until I got to the place where I was supposed to park the Jeep. This was as far as we could go by car, the rest we had to go on foot. If, she still wanted to be that close to me.

"Ana. There's something I need to tell you...about my family." I started out nervously. "We're not...normal. I'm sure you've picked up on the fact that I've been...hiding something." She nodded. "Well It's hard to explain. But I'm going to try. Promise me you won't go running and screaming when this is over okay?" I asked her hesitantly.

~*~

"Promise me you won't go running and screaming when this is over okay?" He asked me hesitantly. I almost laughed. _If only he knew..._ I decided it was probably time to end his suffering.  
"I promise." I said seriously. "But if this is about the fact that you're family is actually a coven of vampires and you're one of them, then you can chill. Because I already know that."

~*~

"But if this is about the fact that your family is actually a coven of vampires, and you're one of them, then you can chill. Because I already know that." I stared at her in shock.  
"Wh-what?" I asked.  
"I know you're all vampires. Pale, ice-cold skin. Golden Amber eyes that darken every two weeks, graceful, never changing, never eating...The list goes on and on. I know the signs."  
"B-but how?" I stuttered, even more shocked.  
"This isn't the first time I've run into vampires." was all she said.  
"Oh."  
"Are you okay? You seem kind of...dazed." She said looking over at me in concern.  
"Yeah, no I'm fine it's just that...I've kinda worried about this for the whole day...and you knew the whole time..." I laughed. "This makes everything sooo much easier." I got out and didn't bother to walk slowly. If she's been around vampires before, she'd be used to the speed. She didn't seemed surprised. I opened her door for her and helped her out.  
"We'll have to go on foot from here." I said, looking at her.  
"Piggyback right?" She asked. I laughed again, amazed that this was so easy, and pulled her onto my back. I ran through the forest at normal speed, she didn't even flinch.  
"So, we're going to play baseball with my family. Our parents couldn't make it, but the rest of us decided to play. It won't rain on us, but there will be thunder and lightning. It's the only time we can play." She just nodded. I stopped at the end of the forest and set her down.  
I led her to the middle of the field where everyone was playing. Bella and Edward, who had been tossing a ball back and forth smiled at us and continued to throw the ball. Alice smiled too, but Jasper gave me a wary glance. Emmett was holding back Rose who was looking furious. Very, very furious.

We got to the middle of the field and Edward and Bella came closer to us, but before I could speak, Rose had to have her say.  
"You TOLD her? Idiot! Do you know what could happen if the Volturi found out about this? We could all be discovered! or WORSE. You're just like Edward, couldn't you at least TRY not to unearth us every time we move somewhere I like?!" Rosalie continued with her rant, Edward turned to speak to Anastasia.

"You're taking this very well. Even Bella was a little freaked out when she found out." Edward said to me.  
"I've been around vampires before. I've known since the first time I saw you all." I said to Edward, but of course, everyone could hear.  
"What?"  
"She's known all along?"  
"What other vampires?"  
Rosalie even stopped ranting for a minute to listen.  
"A few of my best friends are vampires. I figured it out...and yeah. I don't remember exactly how it happened but I ended up best friends with them. I've run into several covens in my travels. A few years ago I met a coven like yours up in Denali. Vegetarian vampires? They were very nice and put me up for a few nights."  
"You...know." Rosalie said. I nodded. "Well...okay then. I guess that kind of changes things." She said rather slowly. Everyone was looking decidedly happier.  
"It's too bad that Carlisle and Esme couldn't make it. They would have loved to meet you." Bella said kindly smiling at me. I smiled back but looked at Tyler.  
"Our 'parents'" Tyler smiled.  
"Well let's play ball!" Emmett roared. Tyler rolled his eyes and led me over to home base so I could watch.

_Carlisle. Carlisle and Esme. Carlisle. What was Tyler's last name?_ Those were the thoughts that had been running through my head for the last hour or so. Apart from cheering on Tyler's team, I had been thinking. Was it possible? Did Carlisle have his own coven now?  
Was this it? Were they living here? So many questions that couldn't possibly be answered. But there was hope.

"So you know all about vampires." Rosalie stated. We were in Emmett's Jeep on the way back to their house. Emmett was driving, Tyler was in the front seat, and Rose and I were in the back.  
"Yes. I have for quite some time now."  
Rose nodded and then said almost hesitantly, "Tyler said you drive a Porsche."  
I nodded and smiled a bit. It seemed like Rosalie was making an effort to be nice. We started the conversation about my car, but somehow ended up talking about fashion and movies and books we liked. We arrived at Tyler's families' house before I knew it, and Rose and I smiled at each other. It seemed like I had made several new friends.

My mission, as I got out of Emmett's Jeep and went into the house, was to find out if their Carlisle was the same Carlisle I knew. Tyler offered to show me around and I accepted. He took me to see the kitchen that they never used, the dinning room that was only used for family meetings, the living room, (where Emmett and Jasper had set up a very complicated Chess game) Edward and Bella's room, Alice's and Jasper's room, Emmett and Rose's room, Carlisle and Esme's room, and then we finally got to Carlisle's office. As soon as I walked in, I knew this was my Carlisle's office. Which made this the Cullen family. I could tell it was Carlisle, because only Carlisle had this many portraits of his life. I would know, I had watched him paint some of them a few hundred years ago. Heck, I was probably in some of them. I was glad to know that my friend Carlisle was here. I knew I could count on him...and his coven...to help me out.

After Carlisle's office, Tyler took me to his room. I looked at all the books he had, giving my seal of approval, laughed at his music choices (80's Tyler? Really?), and soon I realized it was getting dark outside. Tyler took me home in his normal car, and I said goodbye and went inside. It had been a nice day, a day I would always remember, especially in the bad times.


	4. Tanya

Ever since that Friday, things changed between the Cullens and Anastasia. Now, instead of Tyler and Ana sitting with the humans during lunch time, they sat with the Cullens. Amy and the gang didn't mind seeing as they still thought Tyler and the Cullens were creepy, and they hadn't really gotten to know Ana that much. Ana still hung out with them occasionally and ate lunch with them when the Cullens went camping though.

On Ana's part, she was getting closer to Tyler and his family everyday. They had almost no secrets from her, she even knew all of their stories. Tyler didn't seem to mind that she hadn't told him all of her story, but she was beginning to mind. Tyler was becoming more than a friend to her. The only change that could ever happen to the unchangeable vampire. Love. Ana was beginning to feel it. The more she hung out with Tyler, the more she wanted to be with him. Those particularly sunny days when he couldn't come to school seemed to drag on endlessly. So did the days he spent hunting, and the nights when she was supposed to be 'sleeping'. She was falling, and falling hard.

~*~

"Hey Ana!" Tyler called to me as I got out of my car. Normally either Rosalie or Edward picked me up, depending on whose car Tyler was riding in, but today Tyler had called early saying he was going to 'run' to school, so I decided to drive.  
"Hi Tyler." I smiled shyly. He grinned really big as he came over to where I was walking.  
"How's life?" He asked happily.  
"Someone's peppy this morning..." I murmured.  
"Peppy? That's a first." Tyler said, still grinning like an idiot. I rolled my eyes.  
"I'll talk to you at lunch Tyler," I said, walking towards my first class.  
"Later!" He chirped, almost skipping in the opposite direction.  
I shook my head, he was still grinning like an idiot.

"Hey Ana, what's up with your boyfriend?" Amy asked me when she saw Tyler headed towards his second class as we were on our way to ours.  
"First of all he's not my boyfriend, and secondly, I have no clue. He came into school with that idiotic grin on his face, and apparently he still hasn't wiped it off." I said as we entered the classroom.  
"He's acting like he just got a girlfriend," Amy smirked at me.  
"I wouldn't know." I assured her. Then I stopped to think. What if...no. It couldn't be possible. Or....could it? Did Tyler have...a girlfriend?

"He's not eating with us today." Edward said as soon as I came up to the Cullen table.  
"What?"  
"Tyler. He's eating lunch at home." He clarified.  
"Um...okay." I said, a little hurt that Tyler hadn't mentioned this fact when I spoke to him earlier.  
"I wonder _who_ he's eating lunch with," Emmett said suggestively. Jasper and Edward smirked, while Alice rolled her eyes and Bella punched Emmett. Rose glanced at me.  
"Who _is_ Tyler eating with?" I asked.  
"You said you met the Denali clan right?" Rose asked me.  
"Yeah..."  
"Well Tanya came for a visit." She said hesitantly.  
"And Tyler is eating lunch with her?"  
"Yes." Rose whispered, reading the expression on my face.  
"Yeah, but that's not all Tyler wants. The boy is half in love with her!" Emmett snickered.  
I glanced down, determined to not show the pain-filled expression on my face. Rose was the only one who noticed. She put her hand on my knee and I gave her a smile.  
"Are you alright?" She mouthed.  
"fine." I mouthed back. Edward was the only one who knew what we were talking about. And the only person he would tell was Bella. The only person Bella would tell was Alice. And then Alice would tell Jasper, because at this particular moment, Jasper could probably feel my pain with his special ability. Emmett would be the only one out of the loop. Which I didn't particularly mind. Tyler would certainly never know. That was a good thing.

I suddenly felt a lot calmer, as though everything would be alright. I then realized what was happening; Jasper was using his powers. I smiled up from behind my brown hair that I had let fall in front of my face as I hid from the Cullen family. Or at least, the only three who didn't know. I finished my lunch, and then stood up; It was almost time for Chemistry. I grabbed my books and started heading towards the classroom, without waiting for Tyler. Somehow, I knew that Tyler wouldn't be back today.

It was another three days before I saw Tyler again. By that time, my human instincts were kicking in, and surprisingly, so were my protective powers. I somehow knew that I could never be as honest as I used to be with Tyler, simply because it would hurt me too much to be so.

I saw him as I walked to the building, but instead of waiting for him to catch up, I continued walking.  
"Ana! Ana, wait!" I ignored him. After all, he had been ignoring me for the past _four days_.  
I knew why he hadn't been around. Rose had told me that Tyler had a major crush on Tanya. Tanya had come down to visit the Cullens, and was only there for a few days. So Tyler was spending every moment with her. When I asked if she like Tyler back, she hesitated. "Well, we know she likes him, a lot. We just don't know if she's thinking...'Mate' like he is." Tyler was thinking mate. My day had been ruined. My heart had shut down. Even now, walking to the class, my powers were encircling me. I smirked a bit. If Tyler had thought me hard to read before, that was nothing compared to how I was going to be.

I bought lunch in the cafeteria, and noticing that Tyler was sitting with his family, I went and sat down with Amy's group. There wasn't any room left at the table once I sat down, so Tyler couldn't come over and join us. I smiled and laughed and acted happy around the group, but the whole time I could feel Tyler's gaze on my back. I knew I was going to have to speak to him come Chem time. I also knew what I was going to do when I did have to speak to him.

I grabbed my bag and began walking to Chem. I heard Tyler stand up and walk until he was next to me. I stared suspiciously at his feet; he had been moving a bit too fast for a human.  
"Ana. Whats up?" He asked me, a wrinkled frown on his forehead.  
"Nothing. Whats up with you?" I answered casually.  
"Ana, stop it. You're mad at me aren't you?" He asked, staring into my eyes, trying to understand my mood.  
I smiled a small soft smile and shook my head. "No, Tyler, I'm not mad at you." _Frustrated, upset, and a little disappointed maybe, but not mad._  
"Then why didn't you sit with us at lunch?" He asked me as we walked into the lab.  
"I wanted to sit with Amy. I haven't sat with that group at all this week."  
"O-oh. So...you're not mad at me for deserting you for almost four days?" He asked hesitantly.  
"I'm not mad. I just wish that I had heard it from you instead of Rose, that's all." Mr. Williams began the class as the bell rang.  
"Sorry." He whispered. No, he wasn't. Not really. But I nodded anyway and turned to face the class, pretending to listen. Tyler spent the beginning of the lesson watching me from the corner of his eyes, trying to see whether or not I was lying about not being mad.

Finally class was over, and Tyler walked me to my next class, just like normal. "So, I told Tanya about you being here. She said a lot of good things about you." And there it was._Tanya_. He wouldn't be about to stop talking about her from now on.  
"Really. That's nice." I said nonchalantly. I headed towards my classroom, but he stopped me with an ice-cold hand on my tanned skin.  
"See you after school?" He asked me.  
"Um...actually I have a lot of stuff I need to do. Maybe tomorrow." I said.  
"Oh, um. Okay. Tomorrow then." He let me go.

That afternoon, I barely even acknowledged Tyler as I headed to my car and got in. I drove home and did all of my homework and extra credit stuff until I had nothing to do. Then I grabbed books and read and listened to music. Anything to distract me from Tyler.

~*~

"Ow, Rose! What was that for?" I wined as Rose punched me before I got into her car.  
"For hurting her!" Was Rose's answer. I sighed. _Why do girls have to be so complicated?_  
"To keep us on our toes," Edward whispered to me. I laughed, I had forgotten that he couldn't read Bella's mind all the time.  
"Unfortunately its something I can't forget." Edward moaned.  
"Oh quite being a big baby about the fact that you can't hear my innermost thoughts." Bella called over from where she was with Alice and Jasper, she had only heard the last bit of our conversation, and she still knew what we had been talking about.

I laughed all the way back to our house.


	5. Peace? HA!

So I thought things were okay between me and Ana. She said she wasn't mad, just a little hurt that I had left without a word to her. Okay, no big deal, I can totally understand that. What I can't understand is what's different. She seems a lot more hesitant when answering my questions, my deeper ones. Almost like...she's afraid of telling me too much. I'm beginning to wonder if I hurt her more than I thought.

~*~

I was in History, the class I have right before lunch, doing my usual thing. Zoning out and waiting for class to end, when suddenly, the hairs on the backs of my arms stood up. I examined my perimeter around the school with my powers, there was no immediate danger there. So I stretched my perimeter out farther and farther until I did find something. My perimeter was two states away when I felt something. Three individual beings. Ones that I recognized. I snapped out of my mental state just as the bell rang. My head raced trying to put all the pieces together as I got my stuff and headed out the door. I was in the middle of the hallway when it hit me. Aro. Marcus. Caius. Coming for_me_. Soon. I needed to talk to Alice. There was so much to do, so much I was unsure of. So many questions I had. It was time to find some answers, and by the look of things, I had about a day to figure everything out. I raced to the lunch room, human speed like always, and found the table I was looking for. All of the Cullens were there already, a good thing. We could leave immediately.  
"Hey Ana," Tyler called out to me, smiling, then looking confused when he saw the expression on my face. I gave him a half-hearted smile and walked over to where Alice was sitting.  
"Alice, I need you to look at my future." I had to make sure this wasn't a false alarm, as well as find a way to make sure the Cullens believed me.  
"I thought we talked about this, you have some kind of block that prevents me from seeing your future." Alice said, looking as confused as Tyler was.  
_My shield..._ I shut my eyes and lowered it. "Try it now." I whispered.  
She gasped, and I knew I had been correct. Edward read her mind easily and looked at me confusion and urgency in his eyes. Alright everyone, looks like it's time to leave for that camping trip. Ana, are you still coming?" He said loud enough for the humans to hear.  
"Wouldn't miss it." I smiled a fake smile. We all headed out to the parking lot. I was glad I had caught a ride with Edward, it meant I didn't have to worry about my car.

I got into Edward's car along with Bella, Alice, and Tyler. Rose, Emmett, and Jasper rode in the jeep. I knew that as soon as we were on the road the interrogation would begin.  
"What's going on? Why are we going home?" Tyler asked, wanting some answers. Everyone just ignored him.  
"Why are they after you Ana?" was Edward's question.  
"It's hard to explain." I sighed.  
"Try anyway." He replied tersely. I looked around the car. Bella and Edward, happily married with a happy ending. Alice and Jasper, Rose and Emmett...and even Tyler and Tanya. They would make a nice couple. Everyone I had dragged into a mess that was my problem. Something they shouldn't have had to deal with.  
"I'm sorry for dragging you all into this. Things would have been a lot easier if we had never met." I whispered, staring at the front.  
"Don't say that!" Tyler said, shaking me, looking a bit scared at what I had just said.  
"We never regret meeting you, and nothing will ever make us." Bella said reassuringly.  
I couldn't think. Couldn't process thoughts. Was it all going to end? And then one word became clear in my mind. _Carlisle_. I mouthed the word.  
"What?" Tyler asked me.  
"Carlisle. I need to see Carlisle!" I said, my voice growing louder. Yes, Carlisle would know what to do.

We were at the Cullen's house in no time at all, and I wasted no time in walking through the front door. I had never actually been inside the house with Carlisle and Esme there, I've never met Esme, and somehow I never managed to run into Carlisle as often as I saw the Cullens. I wondered briefly if he knew I was around. I didn't have to wonder long; He had stayed home from work and came into the foyer as soon as he heard us come into the house. Tyler and Edward were blocking my view from him, but I could hear his voice, one that I haven't heard in a long time.  
"Why is everyone home so early?" Carlisle asked Tyler and Edward, looking at his adopted sons.  
"Carlisle, remember my friend I told you about? Anastasia?"  
"Yes."  
"Well she wants to talk to you." He stepped back, allowing me to see Carlisle's face for the first time in centuries.  
"Hello Carlisle," I said determindly, smiling sadly at him. His eyes widened and he stood there in shock for a bit. His eyes locked on mine and he seemed to read me like a page.  
"Let's go into my office. Edward, Alice, and Esme, you too." He turned and led the way.  
"What about me?" Tyler asked, indignant.  
"I'll explain everything later." Carlisle told him, going upstairs.  
"Hi, I'm Esme." Esme introduced herself as we followed Carlisle.  
"Anastasia." I told her. Her eyes widened as well, and then she put her arm around me. When I stared up at her in shock she said,  
"Carlisle and Tyler have both told me so much about you, I feel as though you are already my daughter." She smiled warmly at me. I smiled back. Esme and Carlisle were perfect for each other.  
"Thank you," I whispered as we went into Carlisle's office. Edward, the last one in, shut the door and the meeting began.

"Alice, what did you see?" Carlisle asked.  
"I saw Aro, Caius, and Marcus coming here, asking for Anastasia. I saw her having to make a choice between them." Alice reported in her wind-chime voice.  
"I was afraid of that. Did you sense them?" He asked me.  
"Yes, they are about a day away." I sighed. He nodded and then hesitated.  
"Ana, how much time do you have left, exactly?" I knew exactly what he meant. Now it was my turn to hesitate.  
"Um. A little over a week." I barely got out. My throat seemed dry all of the sudden. Carlisle stood and came over to me, putting his hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him.  
"A week? That's it?" He asked sadly.  
"A week and one day." I said, equally as sad. Esme came over and hugged us both.  
"You need to make a decision. Stay and fight? Or go into hiding." Carlisle said, smiling at me.  
"I need to think." I responded.  
"Of course-"  
"Marcus will be here first." Alice cut in, eyes blank, "That's funny, don't the Volturi normally travel all together?" She asked.  
"They used too until Marcus left and became the leader of the other side. Now Caius and Aro head the side that wants to control the humans and Marcus leads the side that doesn't want things to change." I said. Edward and Alice stared.  
"How do you know so much about the Volturi?" Edward asked suspiciously.  
"Long story, don't have time. I need to talk to Tyler." I said, pushing past everyone. Tyler needed to know as much as my gift would let me tell him.


	6. A Decision

"Tyler?" I called, in a normal voice. I knew he could hear me.  
"Over here!" He yelled, which was silly, because I could hear him perfectly, even though he was a mile away. But he didn't know that. Yet.  
I ran vampire speed to him. He would know what I was soon enough anyway. Carlisle and Esme knew, Edward suspected, but he probably wouldn't put two and two together until someone told him directly. Alice knew. It was only a matter of time before Tyler did.  
"That was fast." He said coldly.  
"Yeah, it was." I said.  
"Well?"  
"I need to ask you something." I sat down.  
"Why don't you go ask Edward. He knows everything, doesn't he?"  
I sighed. I had a feeling it was going to be this way.  
"Tyler, please, this isn't about Edward, or anybody else. You're one of my best friends. I need to ask you something, will you please listen?" I pleaded softly.  
"Fine. But you have to tell me something first."  
"What do you want to know?" I asked cautiously.  
"What's going on? These past few weeks you've been holding back, and then this happens, and you demand to see Carlisle? Whom you haven't even met? Why are Alice and Edward worried? Why are you suddenly all...in control? Like you know what your doing?" It all came out at once.

This is what I was afraid of. I tried to tell him. I tried to let him know. I moved my mouth, but nothing came out. I tried to force myself to say something, anything! But all I could say was,  
"I can't answer your questions." I said softly.  
"Why not?!" He yelled. "You seem perfectly capable of letting everyone else know what's going on! Why can't you tell me?!"  
I cringed. "It's not because I don't want to it's because I can't!" I whispered.  
"I'm sick of you always hiding something. Ana. Don't think I've never noticed it! I've been completely honest with you, and you tell me nothing! And then you have the guts to say we're best friends?"  
"Tyler..." I choked out.  
"No, Ana. I'm leaving. I can't...deal with this. I'll see you around." He hadn't turned around to face me the whole time. He ran out of the clearing we were in, and somehow, I knew I would never see his face again.  
"I hope Tanya makes you happy." I whispered, knowing he could hear me perfectly, even though he was getting farther away.  
My almost dead heart broke.  
For the first, and last, time.

~*~

"I hope Tanya makes you happy." The wind carried the whisper as I ran. I ran towards where Tanya was. Being with Tanya always made me feel better. She might not know it yet, but I knew we were destined to be mates. Sure I would lose spending everyday with the Cullens, but it's not like we couldn't visit or anything. I knew the Cullens would want me to be happy. Apparently, so did Ana. _Ana._ She wouldn't trust me enough to tell me what the heck was going on. I _hated_ being left out. I knew this had something to do with the war. Carlisle had said that the war was coming to it's climax. Something big was going to happen. But what did Ana have to do with it? She was just a human!  
I sighed. Whatever happened next, I would get through it. With Tanya, the woman I loved.

~*~

Tears fell one by one. _My stupid protection!_ I loved being able to protect people. I loved my gift! But this was one of the times I was not so happy with it. It had shut me down completely, so that I couldn't share with Tyler anything, in case he broke my heart. I guess a broken heart wasn't inevitable, but apparently breaking my heart soon than later was better for me. I supposed it didn't matter in the end. _A week and a day..._

I sat there and thought. Marcus would be here sooner than the other two. I would have to pick a side, there was no escaping the Volturi. So what did I want? Did I want vampires in control? Or did I want things to stay the same? Vampires in charge? I shuddered. The death, the murder that would ensue. _The humans..._ Whatever my kind thought, we were not superior to them. Humans had a right to live, to have futures, that didn't involve horrendous bloodshed. I sighed. My decision was made. Now it was time to inform Carlisle.

I walked into the Cullen's living room, where everyone was gathered. Alice and Jasper, Emmett and Rose, Edward and Bella, Carlisle and Esme. I smiled at my dear friend and his mate. Esme was wonderful and perfect for him, I was extremely happy for Carlisle.

"I've made my decision." I said quietly when everyone looked at me. "I'm going with Marcus." I looked up, and saw Carlisle smiling at me.  
"We are too." He said. "As a family."  
I looked up, shocked. "Carlisle! No! Your family!" I gasped, looking around at everyone, so happy with each other. I couldn't allow them to fight, when one or more of them might be destroyed!  
"Anastasia. We'll be okay." Carlisle soothed me. I suspect Jasper also had something to do with it.  
I sighed and nodded. I would allow it, but only because I could protect them. They would never leave my shield.  
"We have to prepare. Alice, pack something for everyone, but it needs to be able to travel with us. We're going to be camping for a little bit."  
I could almost feel Jasper's excitement. It was inevitable. He was an army guy after all.  
"Hey Ana, where's Ty?" Emmett asked me, noticing his absence.  
"Tyler won't being joining us." I said stiffly.  
"What? Why?"  
"He's gone to spend sometime with Tanya and her coven."  
Everyone stood shocked for a moment, until Esme stepped in and told everyone to start packing.  
I walked over to the bay windows and stared out into the forest. A war was going to happen, and I couldn't do anything to stop it.

~*~

"Is she okay?" Bella asked me as we went to our room to start packing.  
"I think so. Tyler...wasn't very happy with her. But, Ana is strong." I told her, putting some music CD's in our suitcase.  
"Is that why Tyler left? Because he was mad at her?"  
"Tyler wanted to know what was going on. And for some reason, Ana can't tell him." I said, explaining to her the situation. I was startled when Bella's arms came around me, her cheek to my back.  
"Does she love him?" She asked me quietly.  
"Yes. Unfortunately, he can't see that." I sighed. Ana was hurting, I had read that off Jasper's mind in the living room. There was nothing we could do about it. I pulled Bella around and into my arms, kissing her softly. There was no one I loved more than this impossibly beautiful woman in my arms. When I pulled away, Bella had that soft smile she always had after I kissed her.  
"I love you," I whispered, staring into her topaz eyes.  
"I love you too," She smiled, her eyes twinkling.


End file.
